I study Shaloin Kempo and I know all the Japanese style blocks, but when I am sparring I never do the block proably. I dont start the block from the hip ( instead all my shoulder does the work ) My insructor told me that if u block from the shoulder, it is not strong enough and a person with a strong punch would just punch through it. I was also told to move when I blocked ( for a beginer I was told its better to move out the way, so if the block doesn't work u still wont get hit). The problem is I can never time a move well enough and I use what ever reaction that comes first. My blocks do work, but of course they could be better.
The "Japanese" style blocks (Jodan/Chudan/Gedan Uke) are less "blocks", and more "defensive strikes". Of course, you don't learn this until much later. Think of it this way: Your goal is to NOT GET HIT. You can accomplish this one of two ways; Not be where the strike is, or deflect the trajectory of the strike. To be honest, those "Japanese" style blocks are not the most effective "sparring" blocks, as the fighter tends to focus too much on the "blocking", and ends up telegraphing their intent or over/underestimating the location of the incoming strike. In Shaolin Kempo, you'll come across two types of "Blocking Sets". The first set is hard, the second set is soft. The softer parries are typically easier to use in a sparring situation, and you'll find that soft parries are actually included within the over emphasized "chambering" motion of the arms pertaining to Hard Blocks. I'm sure I probably haven't helped much, as the only real way to improve your timing and not get his is to PRACTICE your timing in not getting hit. Also...firing blocks from the hip is just a training position. Please don't try that in the ring. May you achieve Satori
to be quite honest, after two years of doing the whole upper outer block thing, my first sparring session in muay thai was quite a shock. blocking in such a manner leaves you WIDE open, especially if you go to block and its just a feint. come by balmoral lee gar and ill show you how to block a punch
First sparring sessions in almost any *new* art is quite a shock. Going from pai lum to MT was quite a shock for me, and just recently, it was just as much a shock going from MT to ngo cho. When I sparred in MT, I felt like my pai lum stuff didnt work well, and when I spar with the ngo cho guys (Yohan on this forum), I find my MT stuff doesnt work well. Over and over, the best way to get good at your blocks is to practice ad infinitum. If you feel like your form is horrible, undrestand that application work looks different than it does in the forms. But if you feel youre "sloppy", then just slow the sparring down a bit so you can concentrate more on performing more concise techniques. As for leaving yourself wide open, with time and effort, you will become more efficient at attacking and defending, regardless of your method of blocking and attacking.
Don't get you? If your stopping the other guy hitting you, how can you be bad at blocking? And as already mentioned, techniques don't start at the hip, they start from wherever your hand is at the time.
I've never heard an instructor actually tell you to use the blocks your taught in patterns to block a punch before, I certainly wouldnt recomend it.
The problem is I can never time a move well enough and I use what ever reaction that comes first. My blocks do work..." it just takes lots and lots of practice. Does your school teach the natural strikes off the blocks? It sounds like you have good reaction time (your blocks do work) now you just need to train your muscle memory... try to stay relaxed, muscles not tensed. Not just arms but also torso, back, shoulders, hips, legs etc. Then the body can get all into it, this is what your instructor means by blocking from the hip - not keeping your hand chambered at the hip!
Forget the word block. Change it so your mentality becomes to strike the in coming attack. Also keep your striking arm nice and relaxed KK
Are we advocating moving our hands down to our hips before executing blocks here? Sorry bu thats what it sounds like to me.
I'll try to address the original question. Sometimes it helps to break down blocking into a two stage action. First is to move and parry the attack with one hand, and then second would be to apply the block. To make this work, the move and parry is done with very little or no twisting or rotation of the body. The block is done with rotation of the body much like a strike. If you rotate the body with the parry, the following block will have no power. So the natural reaction would be to move and parry (without much body rotation), then follow with the block using the other arm and with body rotation (if appropriate). This should help to generate the power you seek. There are exceptions such as the rising block that doesn't use much body rotation, so what I say mainly applies to blocks to the side or more along the horizontal plane. As you get better at moving, the parry becomes less necessary as you will be inside or outside the attack and so all the parry becomes is a cover just in case. At this point, the block becomes more of an interception or a strike.
It's not that my blocks dont work, but in kempo my instructor told me that the basic blocks are also strikes to your oppents arms, so they have to be powerful and you get more power from the hip then the shoulders. When I spar against brown belts and black belts when they block I can honestly say that I leave class with a dead arm. Their timing is amazing ,fill technique and u can realy feel the difference from me blocking from my shoulders and them blocking from their hips.
I think your instructor might be the only one to really give you good advice here because honestly, we would have to see you in action in person or at least on video to see what is going on with your body mechanics. It could be almost anything, it could be that you are too tense, your technique is not as good, you have too high a stance to generate good power, you are OVER rotating your hips, you are holding your breath, you are not rotating your forearms when blocking (rotation allows for different muscle sets to add acceleration in technique, and acceleration equals penetration power for strikes), etc. Can't tell without actually seeing what you are doing. I can tell you that generating power from the hips is somewhat a misleading statement. There is about a 60 degree range of motion for the hips inside the natural hip track that the hips are a component of power, if you go outside the hip track, you start to uproot and your power decreases. You could be over-rotating your hips outside the natural hip track. Your hips are a big component in generating power, but for most of the technique you speak of, it is actually your waist that helps to generate power along with good technique. Use hip rotation only within the hip track and for more range of motion, speed and power, rotate the rest of the way at the ribs. Maybe what I say will help. I don't know because I can't see what you are actually doing.
jamming, or sidestep A good way of avoiding an attack, is jamming it before it comes in, in other words u want to step into the attack with a slight angle, jam the sucker up. Say for example, someone throws a roundhouse kick at you, closed side, step into the attack, one hand blocks the kick even tho its not necessary much, and u hit him with a backfist to the head when he comes in. In other words, jam, hand is there just in case, and he walks into your attack. Last tip, KEEP MOVING, even tho that is a bit OT from what the OP was talking about.
